/‘/o  ^ 


TABLET  IN  FRANZ  DISPENSARY 
YOCHOW  CITY  MIINIAM  CUIKIA 


SURGICAL  WARD  IN  HOY  MEMORIAL  HOSPITAL.  YOCHOW  CITY,  CHINA 
MISS  TRAUB.  DR.  lAO.  DR.  YOUNG 


ALLEN  R.  BARTHOLOMEW 


HERE  is  a picture  on  my  desk,  sent 
to  me  by  our  missionary,  Dr. 
Adams,  of  the  Hoy  Memorial 
Hospital,  in  China,  that  1 could 
not  print  because  it  is  so  gruesome. 
Two  poor  Chinamen  lie  by  the 
wayside,  their  heads  cut  off  from  their  bodies,  and 
their  hearts  taken  out  for  medical  purposes.  The 
Chinese  believe  that  by  drying  the  human  heart, 
grinding  it  into  powder,  and  using  it  as  a medicine 
it  will  give  them  strength,  courage  and  endurance. 
Strange,  indeed,  is  such  a cruel  belief,  but  it  is  only 
one  of  many  of  their  superstitions.  No  wonder 
that  a physician  in  Syria  said:  “My  heart  is  in  the 
medical  work  because  it  is  going  to  bring  about  the 
Kingdom  of  God  in  the  foreign  field.” 

Yes,  and  do  I err  when  I say  that  the  medical 
work  is  an  essential  part  of  our  Christian  service 
in  heathen  lands!  By  precept  and  example  our 
Saviour  emphasized  it.  The  same  Lord  who  said, 
“Preach  the  Gospel,”  also  said,  “Heal  the  Sick.” 
Who  can  estimate  the  value  of  the  healing  art  as 
practiced  by  the  Christian  physician  and  nurse! 


HEAL  THE  SICK 


The  hospital  is  an  educator  as  to  the  divine  atti- 
tude towards  human  suffering.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  agencies  which  God  uses  to  heal  a sin-sick 
humanity.  Some  one  has  said:  “A  beautiful 
edifice  is  a poem  in  stone;  and  a beautiful  church 
a sermon  in  stone;  but  a building  devoted  to  the 
relief  of  pain  and  misery  is  the  symbol  of  a 
perpetual  prayer  and  a perpetual  benediction;  the 
prayer  of  human  anguish  to  the  heart  of 
the  Eternal,  and  the  benediction  of  God 
upon  whatever  tends  to  the  relief  of  His 
suffering  children.”  The  surgeon  and  the  nurse 
are  the  two  arms  who  enact  the  wonders  of  the 
healing  art  for  Christ’s  sake  in  these  latter  days. 
What  a blessing  they  prove  to  the  millions  in  the 
far  outposts  of  progress  who  feel  as  keenly  as  we 
do,  and  yet  who  know  of  no  remedy,  but  must 
needs  lie  in  helpless  agony  until  the  pain  spends 
itself,  or  death  affords  relief! 

Oh!  the  sight  of  the  suffering  in  the  non- 
Christian  lands!  What  ghastly  memories  crowd 
in  upon  my  mind  as  I think  of  the  sightless  eye- 
balls in  India  and  the  festering  sores  in  China. 

In  China  a woman  physician  and  trained 
nurse  are  welcomed  most  cordially.  They  have 
access  to  the  homes  of  the  women  who  will  rather 


HEAL 


T H S I C 


WOMEN  S HOSPITAL  AT  SHENCHOWFU.  CHINA 
WITHOUT  A WOMAN  PHYSICIAN 


die  than  call  in  a man  to  treat  them.  They  tell 
the  nurse  what  they  will  tell  nobody  else  in  all  the 
world,  all  their  sorrows  and  pains,  and  they  will 
listen  to  the  Gospel  from  her.  During  sickness  the 
soul  is  usually  open  to  conviction  of  sin  and  often 
moved  to  confess  faith  in  Christ.  At  such  a time 
the  physician  and  nurse  have  the  opportunity  of 
telling  about  Jesus  who  came  to  help  the  suffering 
and  to  teach  of  the  Father’s  love  for  all.  In 
China,  as  well  as  in  America,  men  and  women  can 
say: 


HEAL 


THE  SICK 


“The  healing  of  the  seamless  dress 
Is  by  our  beds  of  pain; 

We  touch  Him  in  life’s  throng  and  press, 
And  we  are  whole  again.” 

The  mission  of  the  hospital  is  to  work  the 
works  of  Christian  love,  without  which  our  faith 
is  dead  indeed,  and  with  which  the  gracious  flowers 
of  Christian  faith  and  works,  grow  side  by  side, 
and  come  into  fullest  fruition  in  China.  If  there 
be  on  earth  a sweeter  work  1 do  not  know  it.  By 
means  of  the  dispensary  much  seed-sowing  can 
be  done,  and  it  serves  admirably  to  advertise 
Christian  work.  It  is  possible  through  the  dis- 
pensary to  distribute  large  numbers  of  tracts  and 
portions  of  the  Scriptures. 

At  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  it 
is  said,  our  nation  had  35,000  medical  officers  in 
the  service  of  the  army,  and  3,000  in  the  navy  to 
guard  the  physical  well-being  of  about  4,000,000 
soldiers  and  sailors.  All  honor  to  the  Govern- 
ment for  so  splendidly  caring  for  our  noble  men. 
But  compare  this  large  medical  force  with  the  420 
foreign  physicians,  265  hospitals,  and  386  dispen- 
saries in  China  among  400,000,000  people.  What 
are  so  few  among  so  many!  A million  a month 
are  dying,  without  the  benign  ministry  of  healing. 


A MOTHER  TREATED  FOR  CANCER 

Our  hospitals  have  been  fountains  of  blessing 
to  thousands  of  sick  and  dying.  Two  physicians 
and  one  nurse  at  Yochow  City,  and  one  physician 
and  one  nurse  at  Shenchowfu  are  not  able  to  meet 
the  demands  made  upon  them  by  the  sufferers  who 
flock  to  their  doors  for  relief.  Our  Church  needs 
to  supply  more  doctors  and  nurses.  The  Board 
should  elect  immediately  two  married  surgeons, 


two  lady  physicians  and  three  nurses.  Proper 
homes  for  our  nurses  at  both  stations  would 
greatly  add  to  their  comfort  and  efficiency.  Addi- 
tional residences  must  also  be  supplied  for  the  new 
doctors.  The  hospitals  in  China  require  the  same 
equipment  as  do  the  hospitals  in  America.  Those 
who  have  studied  the  strategy  of  Missions  say  that 
the  “Boards  must  stand  on  the  side  of  progress 
and  see  that  their  hospitals  and  medical  schools 
keep  pace  with  the  medicine  and  surgery  of 
Europe  and  America.”  Christianity  must  prove 
its  superiority  over  all  other  religions  by  superior 
knowledge  and  skill  in  the  practical  application  of 
it  to  the  needs  of  the  sick.  The  time  has  come 
when  we  must  no  longer  get  along  with  the  scanty 
outfits  and  slipshod  methods  of  by-gone  days. 

w omen  of  the  Reformed  Church ! Think 
upon  this  work,  behold  the  needs  of  the  suffering, 
go  to  their  relief  with  your  sympathy,  prayers  and 
support,  and  you  will  never  cease  to  thank  the 
Lord  for  counting  you  worthy  to  have  a part  in 
this  ministry. 


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